Should I let my kids play footy? How to weigh the benefits with the risk of injury

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images After recent reports of dozens of former Australian footballers diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the death of 27-year-old footballer Nathan Fitzgerald from an on-field brain injury, many parents are wondering whether they should let their kids play footy. As a parent of two young boys, I have asked myself the same question. As an epidemiologist who is researching concussion in kids, I let data and the precautionary principle guide my actions. Here’s how…